Semiconductor devices including schottky diodes having overlapping doped regions and methods of fabricating same

ABSTRACT

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and having a surface in which an active region of the semiconductor device is defined, and a plurality of spaced apart doped regions within the active region. The plurality of doped regions have a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type and define a plurality of exposed portions of the semiconductor layer within the active region. The plurality of doped regions include a plurality of rows extending in a longitudinal direction. Each of the rows includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments, and the longitudinally extending segments in a first row at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/492,670, filed Jun. 26, 2009, entitled “Semiconductor Devices Including Schottky Diodes Having Doped Regions Arranged As Islands And Methods Of Fabricating Same,” which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/496,842, filed Aug. 1, 2006, entitled “Semiconductor Devices Including Schottky Diodes With Controlled Breakdown And Methods Of Fabricating Same,” which are assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety as if set forth fully herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and the fabrication of semiconductor devices and more particularly, to Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes, and the fabrication of such diodes.

BACKGROUND

High voltage silicon carbide (SiC) Schottky diodes, which may have voltage blocking ratings between, for example, about 600V and about 2.5 kV, are expected to compete with silicon PIN diodes having similar voltage ratings. Such diodes may handle as much as about 100 amps or more of forward current, depending on their active area design. High voltage Schottky diodes have a number of important applications, particularly in the field of power conditioning, distribution and control.

An important characteristic of a SiC Schottky diode in such applications is its switching speed. Silicon-based PIN devices typically exhibit relatively poor switching speeds. A silicon PIN diode may have a maximum switching speed of approximately 20 kHz, depending on its voltage rating. In contrast, silicon carbide-based Schottky devices are theoretically capable of much higher switching speeds, for example, in excess of about 100 times better than silicon. In addition, silicon carbide devices may be capable of handling a higher current density than silicon devices.

A conventional SiC Schottky diode structure has an n-type SiC substrate on which an n− epitaxial layer, which functions as a drift region, is formed. The device typically includes a Schottky contact formed directly on the n− layer. A junction termination region, such as a guard ring and/or p-type JTE (junction termination extension) region, is typically formed to surround the Schottky junction active region. The purpose of junction termination region is to reduce or prevent electric field crowding at the edges of the Schottky junction, and to reduce or prevent the depletion region from interacting with the surface of the device. Surface effects may cause the depletion region to spread unevenly, which may adversely affect the breakdown voltage of the device. Other termination techniques include field plates and floating field rings that may be more strongly influenced by surface effects. A channel stop region may also be formed by implantation of n-type dopants in order to prevent the depletion region from extending to the edge of the device.

Regardless of the type of termination used, the Schottky diode will fail if a large enough reverse voltage is applied to the junction. Such failures are generally catastrophic, and may damage or destroy the device. Furthermore, even before the junction has failed, a Schottky diode may experience large reverse leakage currents. In order to reduce such leakage currents, the junction barrier Schottky (JBS) diode was developed. JBS diodes are sometimes referred to as Merged PIN-Schottky (MPS) diodes. A conventional JBS diode 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown therein, a conventional JBS diode includes an n-type substrate 12 on which an n− drift layer 14 is formed. A plurality of p+ regions 16 are formed, typically by ion implantation, in the surface of the n− drift layer 14. A metal anode contact 18 is formed on the surface of the n− drift layer 14 in contact with both the n− drift layer 14 and the p+ regions 16. The anode contact 18 forms a Schottky junction with the exposed portions of the drift layer 14, and may form an ohmic contact with the p+ regions 16. A cathode contact 20 is formed on the substrate 12. Silicon carbide-based JBS diodes are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,104,043 and 6,524,900.

In forward operation, the junction J1 between the anode contact 18 and the drift layer 14 turns on before the junction J2 between the p+ regions 16 and the drift layer 14. Thus, at low forward voltages, the device exhibits Schottky diode behavior. That is, current transport in the device is dominated by majority carriers (electrons) injected across the Schottky junction J1 at low forward voltages. As there may be no minority carrier injection (and thus no minority charge storage) in the device at normal operating voltages, JBS diodes have fast switching speeds characteristic of Schottky diodes.

Under reverse bias conditions, however, the depletion regions formed by the PN junctions J2 between the p+ regions 16 and the drift layer 14 expand to block reverse current through the device 10, protecting the Schottky junction J1 and limiting reverse leakage current in the device 10. Thus, in reverse bias, the JBS diode 10 behaves like a PIN diode. The voltage blocking ability of the device 10 is typically determined by the thickness and doping of the drift layer 14 and the design of the edge termination.

One problem associated with silicon carbide based Schottky diodes under forward bias operation arises due to the nature of the Schottky junction J1. Namely, the Schottky junction of a silicon carbide based device may have a relatively high resistance compared, for example to a PIN junction. In some power switching applications, current surges (e.g., transient current spikes) may be experienced from time to time. In Schottky devices, such current surges may result in the dissipation of large amounts of power at the junction, which results in heating of the junction. Heating of the Schottky junction may lower the barrier of the junction, resulting in even more current flowing through the device. This phenomenon, known as thermal runaway, may damage or destroy the device.

Thermal runaway may also occur in devices under reverse bias conditions, as reverse leakage currents may increase with temperature as a result of thermal runaway. Furthermore, other problems may arise in reverse bias conditions. For example, as noted above, if the blocking voltage of the device is exceeded, the device may break down in an uncontrolled manner, which may damage or destroy the device.

SUMMARY

A semiconductor device according to some embodiments includes a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and having a surface in which an active region of the semiconductor device is defined, and a plurality of spaced apart doped regions within the active region. The plurality of doped regions have a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type and define a plurality of exposed portions of the semiconductor layer within the active region. The plurality of doped regions include a plurality of rows extending in a longitudinal direction. Each of the rows includes a plurality of longitudinally extending segments, and the longitudinally extending segments in a first row at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

A first longitudinally extending segment in the first row may at least partially overlap two longitudinally extending segments in the adjacent row in the lateral direction.

Longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in the first row may be spaced apart by a distance L, and laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows may be spaced apart by a distance W, L is about equal to W.

Any point in the active region of the semiconductor device may be at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending segments as one half of a spacing between overlapping portions of laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows.

Any point in the active region of the semiconductor device may be at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending segments as one half of a spacing between longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in a row.

The device may further include a metal region in contact with the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer and the doped regions.

The semiconductor layer may include a silicon carbide semiconductor layer. The doped regions include p-type silicon carbide may have a dopant concentration of from about 1×10¹⁷ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³.

The device may further include a second doped region in the semiconductor layer having a doping concentration that is greater than a doping concentration of the doped regions. The plurality of doped regions and the second doped region may be located at the surface of the semiconductor layer, and a ratio of a surface area occupied by the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region to a total surface area of the active region of the diode is about less than about 0.4.

The device may further include a metal layer on the semiconductor layer that forms a Schottky junction with the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer. A turn-on voltage of a p-n junction between the second doped region and the semiconductor layer is higher than a turn-on voltage of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer.

The doped regions may have a thickness and dopant concentration such that punch-through of p-n junctions between the doped regions and the semiconductor layer occurs at a lower voltage than breakdown of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer.

The device may further include an edge termination region, and the doped regions may have a thickness and dopant concentration such that punch-through of p-n junctions between the doped regions and the semiconductor layer occurs at a lower voltage than a breakdown voltage of the edge termination region.

A method of forming a semiconductor device according to some embodiments includes providing a plurality of doped regions in a semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer has a first conductivity type and the doped regions have a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type such that the semiconductor layer and the first doped regions form respective p-n junctions. The plurality of doped regions include a plurality of rows extending in a longitudinal direction, each of the rows including a plurality of longitudinally extending segments, and the longitudinally extending segments in a first row may at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The method further includes providing a metal layer on the semiconductor layer. The metal layer forms a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer and contacts the doped regions.

The method may further include providing a second doped region in the semiconductor layer. The second doped region may have a conductivity type opposite the conductivity type of the semiconductor layer and may have a dopant concentration higher than the dopant concentration of the doped regions. A second p-n junction between the second doped region and the semiconductor layer is configured to turn on at a voltage that is higher than a turn-on voltage of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the semiconductor layer.

A first longitudinally extending segment in the first row may at least partially overlap two longitudinally extending segments in the adjacent row in the lateral direction.

Longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in the first row may be spaced apart by a distance L, and laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows may be spaced apart by a distance W, L is about equal to W.

The method may further include providing a second doped region in the semiconductor layer having a doping concentration that is greater than a doping concentration of the doped regions. The plurality of doped regions and the second doped region may be located at the surface of the semiconductor layer, and a ratio of a surface area occupied by the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region to a total surface area of the active region of the diode may be less than about 0.4.

The semiconductor layer may include a silicon carbide semiconductor layer. The doped regions include p-type silicon carbide may have a dopant concentration of from about 1×10¹⁷ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate certain embodiment(s) of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional JBS diode.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a JBS diode according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a JBS diode according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are graphs of electric field versus depth in a JBS diode according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are graphs of reverse current versus reverse bias for JBS diodes according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a graph of blocking voltage versus doping for JBS diodes according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a JBS diode according to further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a top view of a JBS diode according to further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating operations according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the expansion of depletion regions around island-shaped JBS regions in a JBS diode according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate the expansion of depletion regions around island-shaped JBS regions in a JBS diode according to further embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a top view of a JBS diode according to further embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a graph of die area versus spacing between JBS regions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.

Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “lateral” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer or region to another element, layer or region as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to cross-section illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures) of the invention. The thickness of layers and regions in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity. Additionally, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, an implanted region illustrated as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features and/or a gradient of implant concentration at its edges rather than a discrete change from implanted to non-implanted region. Likewise, a buried region formed by implantation may result in some implantation in the region between the buried region and the surface through which the implantation takes place. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the actual shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Some embodiments of the invention are described with reference to semiconductor layers and/or regions which are characterized as having a conductivity type such as n-type or p-type, which refers to the majority carrier concentration in the layer and/or region. Thus, n-type material has a majority equilibrium concentration of negatively charged electrons, while p-type material has a majority equilibrium concentration of positively charged holes. Some material may be designated with a “+” or “−” (as in n+, n−, p+, p−, n++, n−−, p++, p−−, or the like), to indicate a relatively larger (“+”) or smaller (“−”) concentration of majority carriers compared to another layer or region. However, such notation does not imply the existence of a particular concentration of majority or minority carriers in a layer or region.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a diode 100 according to some embodiments of the invention. The diode 100 includes a drift layer 114 having an upper surface in which a plurality of lightly doped regions 130 of opposite conductivity type from the drift layer 114 are formed. In the embodiments of FIG. 2, the lightly doped regions 130 are formed as stripe-shaped regions in the drift layer 114. The lightly doped regions 130 may be formed in other shapes, however.

The drift layer 114 may be formed, for example, from n-type silicon carbide of the 2H, 4H, 6H, 3C and/or 15R polytype having a dopant concentration of about 2×10¹⁴ to about 1×10¹⁷ cm⁻³, depending on design requirements for voltage blocking and on-resistance for the diode 100. Other types of semiconductor materials, such as GaN, GaAs, silicon or germanium may be used. In particular embodiments, the drift layer 114 includes 4H—SiC doped with n-type dopants at a concentration of about 5×10¹⁵ cm⁻³. The lightly doped regions 130 may be formed, for example, by ion implantation of p-type dopants such as boron and/or aluminum into the drift layer 114 at a concentration of about 1×10¹⁷ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, and may extend to a depth of about 0.3 to about 0.5 μm beneath the surface of the drift layer 114. In particular embodiments, the lightly doped regions 130 may be doped at a dopant concentration of about 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³, and may extend to a depth of about 0.3 μm beneath the surface of the drift layer 114.

A plurality of heavily doped regions 116 are also provided in the drift layer 114. The heavily doped regions 116 may be formed, for example, by ion implantation of p-type dopants such as boron and/or aluminum into the drift layer 114 at a concentration of about 1×10¹⁸ to about 1×10¹⁹ cm⁻³, and may extend to a depth of about 0.3 to about 0.5 μm beneath the surface of the drift layer 114. In particular embodiments, the heavily doped regions 116 may be doped at a dopant concentration of about 5×10¹⁸ cm⁻³, and may extend to a depth of about 0.3 μm beneath the surface of the drift layer 114. Regions 116 may be formed, for example, by epitaxial growth.

The lightly doped regions 130 shown in the embodiments of FIG. 2 are provided as spaced apart striped regions that expose portions 114A of the surface of the drift layer 114 and that extend across an active region 110 of the drift layer 114 (except for the exposed portions 114A of the drift layer and the heavily doped regions 116). A metal Schottky contact (not shown) covers the drift layer 114 and is in contact with the exposed portions 114A of the drift layer 114 as well as the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116. As used herein, the term “active region” refers to the two dimensional area of the device in which the Schottky metal contacts the drift layer and includes the exposed portions 114A of the drift layer 114, the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116. Accordingly, the active region includes the Schottky junction area but does not include, for example, the edge termination region described below.

The diode 100 may include an edge termination region 115 surrounding the active region 110 of the diode 100. The edge termination region 115 may include a junction termination extension (JTE) region, field rings, field plates, guard rings, and/or a combination of the foregoing or other terminations.

Additional conventional terminations of SiC Schottky diodes are described in “Planar Terminations in 4H—SiC Schottky Diodes With Low Leakage And High Yields” by Singh et al., ISPSD '97, pp. 157 160. A p-type epitaxy guard ring termination for a SiC Schottky Barrier Diode is described in “The Guard-Ring Termination for High-Voltage SiC Schottky Barrier Diodes” by Ueno et al., IEEE Electron Device Letters, Vol. 16, No. 7, July, 1995, pp. 331 332. Additionally, other termination techniques are described in published PCT Application No. WO 97/08754 entitled “SiC Semiconductor Device Comprising A PN Junction With A Voltage Absorbing Edge.”

Another type of junction termination is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,026,650, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference as if set forth fully.

FIG. 3 is a cross section illustration of the diode 100 taken generally along lines A-A of FIG. 2. The dimensions of some features of the diode 100 are exaggerated for clarity. As seen in FIG. 3, the diode 100 includes a substrate 112 on which the drift layer 114 is formed. The heavily doped regions 116 may be formed as an implanted region within the drift layer 114. Similarly, the lightly doped regions 130 may be formed as implanted regions in the drift layer 114. As the heavily doped regions 116 and the lightly doped regions 130 have an opposite conductivity type from the drift layer 114, the lightly doped regions 130 form a p-n junction J3 with the drift layer 114, while the heavily doped regions 116 form a p-n junction J5 with the drift layer 114.

The ratio of the surface area of the active region 110 of the device 100 occupied by the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116 to the total surface area of the active region 110 may affect both the reverse leakage current of the device 100 and the forward voltage drop of the device 100. For example, if the area occupied by the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116 is increased relative to the total area of the active region 110, the reverse leakage current may be reduced, but the forward voltage drop of the device 100 may increase. Thus, the selection of the ratio of the surface area of the active region 110 of the device 100 occupied by the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116 to the total surface area of the active region 110 may entail a trade-off between reverse leakage current and forward voltage drop. In some embodiments, the ratio of the surface area of the active region 110 of the device 100 occupied by the lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions 116 to the total surface area of the active region 110 may be between about 2% and 40%.

An anode contact 118 on the surface of the drift layer 114 forms a Schottky junction J4 with the exposed portions 114A of the drift layer 114 between adjacent lightly doped regions 130 and/or between a lightly doped region 130 and the heavily doped region 116. The anode contact 118 may include a metal, such as aluminum, titanium and/or nickel, that may form an ohmic contact with the heavily doped region 116, while forming a Schottky contact with the drift layer 114.

A cathode contact 120 is formed on a side of the substrate 112 opposite the drift layer 114. The cathode contact 120 may include a metal, such as nickel, that is capable of forming an ohmic contact to n-type silicon carbide.

In forward operation, the junction J4 between the anode contact 118 and the exposed portions 114A of the drift layer 114 turns on before the junction J5 between the heavily doped region 116 and the drift layer 114. Thus, at low forward voltages, the device exhibits Schottky diode behavior. That is, at low forward voltages, the operation of the diode 100 is dominated by the injection of majority carriers across the Schottky junction J4. Due to the absence of minority carrier injection under normal operating conditions, the diode 100 may have a very fast switching capability, which is characteristic of Schottky diodes in general.

The heavily doped region 116 may be designed to begin to conduct at a forward voltage that is higher than the turn-on voltage of the Schottky junction J4. Thus, in the event of a current surge that causes the forward voltage of the diode 100 to increase, the p-n junction J5 will begin to conduct. Once the p-n junction J5 begins to conduct, the operation of the diode 100 is dominated by the injection and recombination of minority carriers across the p-n junction J5. In that case, the on-resistance of the diode may decrease, which may decrease the amount of power dissipated by the diode 100 for a given level of current. Thus, turn-on of the p-n junction J5 when the forward voltage of the diode 100 increases may reduce and/or prevent forward current runaway in the diode 100.

Under reverse bias conditions, however, the depletion regions formed by the p-n junctions J3 between the lightly doped regions 130 and the drift layer 114, as well as the depletion region of the p-n junction J5, may expand to block reverse current through the device 100, protecting the Schottky junction J4 and limiting reverse leakage current in the device 100. Thus, in reverse bias, the diode 100 may function substantially like a PIN diode.

Unlike a conventional JBS Schottky diode, the voltage blocking ability of a diode 100 according to some embodiments of the invention is determined by the thickness and doping of the lightly doped regions 130. That is, when a sufficiently large reverse voltage is applied to the diode 100, the depletion regions in the lightly doped regions 130 will punch through to the depletion region associated with the anode contact 118, permitting a large reverse current to flow through the device 100. As the lightly doped regions 130 are distributed across the active region of the diode 100, this reverse breakdown may be uniformly distributed and controlled such that it may not damage the diode 100. That is, the breakdown of the device 100 may be localized to a punch-through of the lightly doped regions 130, which may result in a breakdown current that is distributed evenly across the active region 110 of the diode 100. As a result, the breakdown characteristics of the diode 100 may be controlled, and the diode 100 may be capable of sustaining large reverse currents without damaging and/or destroying the diode 100.

In some embodiments, the doping of the lightly doped regions 130 may be chosen such that the punch-through voltage is slightly less than the maximum reverse voltage that may otherwise be supported by the edge termination of the diode 100.

FIG. 4A is a graph of simulated vertical electric field distributions in devices according to some embodiments of the invention, for example, along line B-B of FIG. 3, for devices having varying levels of doping in the lightly doped regions 130, as well as for a conventional JBS Schottky diode device having no lightly doped regions 130. For the conventional JBS Schottky diode, the vertical field distribution through one of the p+ regions 16 and the drift layer 14 (FIG. 1) is shown. In particular, FIG. 4A illustrates vertical fields at breakdown voltages for four devices including lightly doped regions 130 having dopant concentrations of 2.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³(Curve 152), 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ (Curve 154), 7.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ (Curve 156) and 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ (Curve 158) as well as for one conventional JBS Schottky diode (Curve 160).

For the device having a dopant concentration of 2.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ in the lightly doped regions 130, the depletion region in the lightly doped region 130 has punched through to the Schottky contact 118, resulting in a lowering of the field in the device, as shown by curve 152. For the device with a dopant concentration of 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ in the lightly doped regions 130, the device behaves more like a conventional JBS Schottky diode, in that the depletion region does not extend far into the lightly doped regions 130. In the remaining devices, the depletion region in the lightly doped regions 130 begins to approach the depletion region beneath the Schottky contact 118. When the depletion region of the lightly doped region 130 contacts the depletion region associated with the Schottky contact 118, punch through begins to occur, which permits reverse current flow from the drift layer 114 to the Schottky contact 118 to increase rapidly with reverse voltage.

The shape of the depletion region in the lightly doped regions 130 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 4B, which is a rescaled graph of curves 154 and 160 of FIG. 4A. As seen in FIG. 4B, for the device having a dopant concentration in the lightly doped regions 130 of 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³, the depletion region in the lightly doped region 130 associated with the p-n junction between the lightly doped region 130 and the drift layer 114 extends into the lightly doped region 130 to the point that it contacts the depletion region formed by the Schottky contact 118.

FIG. 5A is a graph of simulated reverse current versus reverse bias for 600V-rated JBS Schottky devices having varying levels of doping in the lightly doped regions 130, as well as for a device with no lightly doped regions. In particular, FIG. 5A illustrates reverse currents for four devices including lightly doped regions 130 having dopant concentrations in the lightly doped regions 130 of 2.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³(Curve 172), 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³(Curve 174), 7.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ (Curve 176) and 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³(Curve 178) as well as for one conventional JBS Schottky diode (Curve 180). The device having a dopant concentration of 2.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ in the lightly doped regions 130 (Curve 172) exhibits premature breakdown, while curves 178 and 180 are practically coincident, indicating that the device having a dopant concentration of 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³ may not break down due to punch-through of the lightly doped regions 130.

FIG. 5B is a rescaled graph of curves 174 and 180. As seen in FIG. 5B, a Schottky diode including lightly doped regions 130 having a doping concentration of 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ can exhibit similar breakdown behavior as a standards JBS Schottky diode, albeit with more uniform reverse current leakage distribution.

FIG. 6 is a plot of blocking voltage versus doping for JBS diodes according to some embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 6, a dopant concentration for the lightly doped regions 130 as low as 5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³ may result in a diode having a desired blocking voltage. As the dopant concentration is increased beyond about 7.5×10¹⁷ cm⁻³, however, the blocking voltage does not increase substantially. However, as noted above, the breakdown mechanism may not be punch-through for devices with higher dopant concentrations in the lightly doped regions 130.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the doping concentrations and dimensions required to obtain a desired punch-thorough voltage in a device fabricated in accordance with the present invention may vary from the concentrations and/or dimensions described above due, for example, to differences in manufacturing techniques.

A diode 200 according to further embodiments of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 7. The diode 200 includes a substrate 112 and a drift layer 114. A heavily doped region 116 is formed in the drift layer 114 along with a plurality of lightly doped regions 130. The diode 200 further includes an anode contact 218 that includes a first portion 228 that forms an ohmic contact on the heavily doped region 116 and a second portion 238 that forms a Schottky contact with the drift layer 114. As shown in FIG. 7, the second portion 238 may be formed to cover the first portion 228 of the anode contact 218. The first portion 228 may include, for example, aluminum, titanium and/or nickel, while the second portion 238 may include, for example, aluminum, titanium and/or nickel. Other suitable materials for forming ohmic and/or Schottky contacts to silicon carbide are known in the art and may be used in connection with some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates a diode 300 according to further embodiments of the invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the diode 300 may include a plurality of lightly doped regions 330 that are arranged as circular islands 330 in the drift layer 114, as opposed to the stripe-shaped regions of the device 100 of FIG. 2. In some embodiments, the lightly doped regions 330 may have a shape that is generally rectangular and/or that is irregular.

Methods according to some embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 9. As shown therein, the methods include forming lightly doped regions 130 in a semiconductor layer 114 (block 410). As noted above, the lightly doped regions 130 have a conductivity type opposite the conductivity type of the semiconductor layer 114.

The methods further include forming heavily doped regions 116 in the semiconductor layer 114 (block 420). The heavily doped regions 116 have the same conductivity type as the lightly doped regions 130, but are more heavily doped than the lightly doped regions 130. The lightly doped regions 130 and the heavily doped regions may be formed via ion implantation.

A first metal layer 228 is formed as an ohmic contact on the heavily doped regions 116 (block 430), and a second metal layer 238 is formed on the semiconductor layer 114 and the lightly doped regions 130 (block 440). The second metal layer 238 may form a Schottky contact with the exposed portions 114A of the semiconductor layer 114. The second metal layer 238 may also form a Schottky contact with the lightly doped regions 130.

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the expansion of depletion regions around island-shaped lightly doped regions (or islands) 330 in a JBS diode according to some embodiments. As an increasing reverse voltage is applied to the device, a depletion region 340 begins to form around the lightly doped regions 330. Essentially, the depletion region pushes away free carriers in the drift layer 114 to balance the charge of the applied reverse voltage. When two adjacent depletion regions 340 meet, they merge together to form a region that is depleted of free charge carriers.

By designing the JBS region to have regions of overlapping depletion, the JBS region can more effectively pinch off the conduction path and shield the surface 114A of the drift layer 114 from increasing electric fields.

Since the depletion region extends in all directions around the lightly doped regions 330, the size of the doped region can be reduced by taking advantage of this symmetrical depletion. An array of closely packed dots or islands may provide the smallest doped region relative to the size of the active region of a device. However, as shown in FIG. 10B, the region 350 that is farthest away from any island 330 is the last part of the surface 114A to deplete, and may therefore be the least shielded.

According to some embodiments, an intermediate configuration of islands is provided that may deplete more uniformly than circular or hexagonal islands, and may therefore shield the surface 114A of the drift region 114 more effectively.

In particular, according to some embodiments, a JBS region of a diode may include a plurality of lightly doped regions 430 that are arranged as overlapping longitudinal segments, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, which illustrate the expansion of depletion regions 440 around longitudinal JBS segments 430 in a JBS diode. FIG. 12 is a top view of a JBS diode including a plurality of overlapping longitudinal JBS segments 430.

Referring to FIGS. 11A, 11B and 12, the longitudinal JBS segments 430 are formed as lightly doped regions in the drift layer 114 of a JBS diode 400. The longitudinal JBS segments 430 include opposing longitudinal sidewalls 430A and opposing end walls 430B. The longitudinal sidewalls 430A are longer than the end walls 430B, so that the longitudinal JBS segments 430 have an aspect ratio, defined as the length of the longitudinal sidewalls 430A divided by the length of the end walls 430B, is greater than one. In some embodiments, the aspect ratio of the longitudinal JBS segments 430 may be between about 2 and 100.

In particular, the longitudinal sidewalls 430A may have a length of about 1 to 100 microns, while the end walls 430B may have a length of about 0.1 to 10 microns.

The longitudinal JBS segments 430 may be spaced apart in the longitudinal direction by a distance L of about 0.1 to 20 microns, and may be spaced apart in the lateral direction by a distance W of about 0.1 to 20 microns. In some embodiments, the longitudinal distance L may be equal to the lateral distance W, so that depletion regions extending from laterally offset JBS segments 430 may merge at about the same reverse voltage as depletion regions from longitudinally offset JBS segments 430 merge, as shown in FIG. 11B.

Referring to FIG. 12, in another aspect, the lightly doped regions 430 include a plurality of rows 432 extending in a longitudinal direction (e.g., the x-direction indicated in FIG. 12). Each of the rows 432 includes a plurality of longitudinally extending JBS segments 430, and the longitudinally extending JBS segments 432 in each row may at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (e.g., the Y-direction indicated in FIG. 12), as indicated by the line 434 a in FIG. 12.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12, a first longitudinally extending JBS segment 430 in a first row 432 may at least partially overlap two longitudinally extending JBS segments 430 in the adjacent row in the lateral direction, as indicated by the lines 434 a, 434 b in FIG. 12.

Accordingly, any point on the surface 114A of the drift layer 114 in the active region 110 of the semiconductor device 400 may be at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending JBS segments 430 as one half of a spacing W between overlapping portions of laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending JBS segments 430 in adjacent rows 432. Moreover, any point on the surface 114A of the drift layer 114 in the active region 110 of the semiconductor device 400 may be at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending segments 430 as one half of a spacing between longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending JBS segments 430 in a row 432. The device 400 may thereby have more uniform depletion characteristics across the active region 110 thereof.

Although not shown in FIG. 12, the JBS diode 400 may include one or more heavily doped regions 116 as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 13 is a graph of normalized die area versus spacing between JBS regions for various configurations of JBS regions, including lines (curve 502) as shown in FIG. 2, dots, or circular islands (curve 504) as shown in FIG. 8, and longitudinal segments (curve 506) as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 indicates that the die area needed for a particular spacing between longitudinal segments is greater than the die area needed for circular islands, but less than the die area needed for lines. Accordingly, using longitudinal segments as JBS regions can decrease the amount of die area needed for a given blocking ability while providing more even merging of depletion regions.

While embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to particular sequences of operations, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, certain operations within the sequence may be reordered while still benefiting from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the present invention should not be construed as limited to the exact sequence of operations described herein.

In the drawings and specification, there have been disclosed typical embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims. 

1. A semiconductor device, comprising: a semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type and having a surface in which an active region of the semiconductor device is defined; a plurality of spaced apart doped regions within the active region, the plurality of doped regions having a second conductivity type that is opposite the first conductivity type and defining a plurality of exposed portions of the semiconductor layer within the active region; wherein the plurality of doped regions comprise a plurality of rows extending in a longitudinal direction, each of the rows including a plurality of longitudinally extending segments; and wherein the longitudinally extending segments in a first row at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.
 2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein a first longitudinally extending segment in the first row at least partially overlaps two longitudinally extending segments in the adjacent row in the lateral direction.
 3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in the first row are spaced apart by a distance L, and laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows are spaced apart by a distance W, wherein L is about equal to W.
 4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein any point in the active region of the semiconductor device is at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending segments as one half of a spacing between overlapping portions of laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows.
 5. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein any point in the active region of the semiconductor device is at least as close to at least one of the longitudinally extending segments as one half of a spacing between longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in a row.
 6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a metal region in contact with the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer and the doped regions.
 7. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises a silicon carbide semiconductor layer.
 8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the doped regions comprise p-type silicon carbide having a dopant concentration of from about 1×10¹⁷ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³.
 9. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a second doped region in the semiconductor layer, the second doped region having a doping concentration that is greater than a doping concentration of the doped regions, wherein the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region are located at the surface of the semiconductor layer, and wherein a ratio of a surface area occupied by the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region to a total surface area of the active region of the diode is less than about 0.4.
 10. The semiconductor device of claim 9, further comprising a metal layer on the semiconductor layer and forming a Schottky junction with the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer, wherein a turn-on voltage of a p-n junction between the second doped region and the semiconductor layer is higher than a turn-on voltage of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer.
 11. The semiconductor device of claim 10, wherein the doped regions have a thickness and dopant concentration such that punch-through of p-n junctions between the doped regions and the semiconductor layer occurs at a lower voltage than breakdown of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer.
 12. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an edge termination region, wherein the doped regions have a thickness and dopant concentration such that punch-through of p-n junctions between the doped regions and the semiconductor layer occurs at a lower voltage than a breakdown voltage of the edge termination region.
 13. A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a plurality of doped regions in a semiconductor layer, wherein the semiconductor layer has a first conductivity type and the doped regions have a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type such that the semiconductor layer and the first doped regions form respective p-n junctions, wherein the plurality of doped regions comprise a plurality of rows extending in a longitudinal direction, each of the rows including a plurality of longitudinally extending segments; and wherein the longitudinally extending segments in a first row at least partially overlap the longitudinally extending segments in an adjacent row in a lateral direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and providing a metal layer on the semiconductor layer, the metal layer forming a Schottky junction with the semiconductor layer and contacting the doped regions.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing a second doped region in the semiconductor layer, the second doped region having a conductivity type opposite the conductivity type of the semiconductor layer and having a dopant concentration higher than the dopant concentration of the doped regions, wherein a second p-n junction between the second doped region and the semiconductor layer is configured to turn on at a voltage that is higher than a turn-on voltage of the Schottky junction between the metal layer and the semiconductor layer.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein a first longitudinally extending segment in the first row at least partially overlaps two longitudinally extending segments in the adjacent row in the lateral direction.
 16. The method of claim 13, wherein longitudinally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in the first row are spaced apart by a distance L, and laterally adjacent ones of the longitudinally extending segments in adjacent rows are spaced apart by a distance W, wherein L is about equal to W.
 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a second doped region in the semiconductor layer, the second doped region having a doping concentration that is greater than a doping concentration of the doped regions.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region are located at the surface of the semiconductor layer, and wherein a ratio of a surface area occupied by the plurality of doped regions and the second doped region to a total surface area of the active region of the diode is less than about 0.4.
 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the semiconductor layer comprises a silicon carbide semiconductor layer.
 20. The method of claim 13, wherein the doped regions comprise p-type silicon carbide having a dopant concentration of from about 1×10¹⁷ to about 1×10¹⁸ cm⁻³. 